Rosie.

nooooooooooooo, hb, i just listened to the whole thing.

on the link...it doesn't HAVE the last line, unbelievable as it may seem, which of course is:

"if you could see her through my eyes, she wouldn't look jewish at all.."

with that same EVIL joel grey sizzling half-whispered...well...IRONY...

rosie you mindreader!

i've been looking for that clip -- with joel grey of course, i couldn't find it!!!

exactly for the other blog (useful for more than one metaphor :) ). gotta run but will copypaste it later.

you're my irony trainer. thanks for the workout.

hb, / ooops, sorry, PPS!

sorry, i just couldn't resist:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6dU5vmqgBM

(it's the last line that clinches it, if you're not familiar with the song).

As for Jaspers' four categories, comin' up.

oh and ps, please don't say 'enlighten me' to me again. I'm accused here of being a sanctimonious self-aggrandizing faux buddhist meddler more than enough. (that is, ever since i came back). pleeease don't provide more ammunition (and no sorries i didn't mean tos either. I KNOW that...lol)

_____________

pps. oh yeah, when i said the Rahbar was right about berlin, i meant in his recent photo essay on berlin when he said he could live there, it's like a german berkeley. bay area had a special connection to new york back in the day. there was kind of a downtown ny/bay area/berlin triangle,with the 'hip' people traveling back and forth between them a lot.

for a while in the 90's it also included prague and budapest.

enlighten me

rosie, i'm an ignoramus in philosophy. i don't know jaspers. tell it to me straight.

i also wanted to know what you meant 'rahbar was right about berlin'.

i think a lot about where i am now and about late 20s/early 30s berlin. in that vein i even gave ahmedinezhad a 'willkommen, bienvenue, welcome' on the israeli passport blog.

i relink it here for (tragi)comic relief:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry_fR5H1GYw 

(michael york my sweet, no offense, you are not part of the metaphor)

.....

Hi! Boom,

    I landed on LA Times last night....unfortunately I did not know where to go....it is a huge website...could you please give us a hint if you don't mind?

//www.latimes.com/news/blogs/

Do you mind to post the link here for us?

Hi! Boom,

    You are a way better debater....I am mostly a reader on IC....I don't have the knowledge to debate much......I also don't want to be accused of meddling in Iranians' internal affairs....once a while I express my opinions here......hopefully you won't get blocked again!

   I am approaching my anniversary on IC....I keep thinking of last year's fun time here.....hopefully everyone is around and happy.

take care!

Yolanda, about your two last posts, (ps humanbeing)

especially the last one, I've started drafting you a reply to the particular situations you brought up, but it's taken longer than I anticipated so I wanted to say a few things to you now. First of all, a heads up. its title is 'Hypocrisy'.

I don't mean your hypocrisy. And I don't mean hypocrisy on the part of any particular political 'camp' here either. As you know, when someone is a witness in a US court of law,  they have to 'swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and notihing but the truth'. Bunny cake, few people here are telling you the whole truth.

It's not because they don't want to. It's because they can't. First of all no one EVER knows the 'whole truth' about ANYTHING  (in fact it's questionable whether there always IS one). Second of all, because very often when people don't tell the whole truth, it's not because they intentionally suppress things, It's because these things are subconsciously repressed. In other words, they're not lying to you or to each other. They're lying to themselves.

And so is that hypocrisy? I've asked myself that many times, and I've come to the conclusion that on a personal level, no, it's not, but on a metaphysical level, yes, it is.

So the real question asked in any 'court' (literal or metaphorical) should be: Do you swear to tell YOUR whole truth, and when you're confronted with its limitations, do you swear NOT to tell NOTHING but your truth?

Obviously,you and I are no different from anyone else in this business. But here on i.c. we are. Because we're not Iranians.  So we don't have the same kind of emotional investment as most people here do in sticking to OUR 'whole' truth' like Elmer's Glue. Or anyway we shouldn't.

So imho that's what our role should be here. Not as more Elmer's Glue. There's plenty of that here to go around.

Not more glue. Solvent.

_____________

ps hb, you might recognize the idea of 'metaphysical' hypocrisy as a variation on Karl Jasper's fourth category in 'The Question of German Guilt.

ps Maziar,

don't get the wrong impression. I was never extreme on the New York 'scene' (as you probably already guessed).I didn't do drugs, my artistic training was classical, I didn't like the squalor to the extent that most of those living on the 'fringe' did, I was never one for marching in protest etc., and of course with time I've become more 'subdued'. But the point is that it was meaningful to be with people who 'pushed out the envelope' of societal mores, precepts, organization, etc. Little by little, mostly becase of the expensive rents, there were less and less people to push out that envelope.

Now, there isn't even an envelope to push. Just one large global sanitary napkin. And if you want to push that one out, New York's not the place to do it.

But the Rahbar was right about Berlin.

rosie thanks

for the undeserved compliment. just to set matters straight, even if it will disappoint you and make me seem less admirable in your eyes, i can't remember when i last went to observe at a checkpoint. maybe that's what makes me feel guilty. i focus now on other stuff, related to fighting incitement and apartheid among toddlers and little kids, with schools summer camps and other social and educational stuff, and i involve my kids in this. i think it may be more important in the longer run, and in a deeper way, but i don't deserve the full credit you give me.

lately i've been busy navelgazing or giving iranians on ic 'eitzes' on nationbuilding, including reconciliation. they have been really good sports about this, all things considered. you are right and i have lost my sense for irony. but i hope not for humour.

this is a great thread. and thanks for the details and clarifications.

Humanbeing, Truth and Reconciliation

why 'butt out'? Since 'butting' is all people ever do here anymore, may as well butt in.

//www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/assets/images/rams%20butting%20heads.jpg 

When I said 'Truth and Reconciliation' here, I was being ironic. I mean, I said it would begin for all Iran because Boom has a koala bear avatar and Sargord's would be a teddy bear. C'mon, hb, I think being an observer at the Palestinian checkpoints for too long has made you lose your sense of irony. Where's that 'yiddischer kopf' of yours?

To be honest, I used to talk about Truth and Reconciliation here a lot. I was the first person to do it. But since the uprising, no one does anymore. (Bearing in mind I didn't read the site for several months, but I'd wager no one did during that time either). But then just a couple of days ago I saw someone mention it. In the context of what would happen after the imminent creation of a perfect secular democracy within the next few months. The problem is it has to start before.

Now, Fooladi was just on a thread where she talked about the day soon to come when all Mollahs and their supporters would all be strung up. Only in her usual far more eloquent language, pinkies up. And she meant it literally. I guess it would include Ayatollah Boroujerdi, to finish off the tortures he's already been undergoing for two years. A kind of mercy killing, perhaps.

//www.bamazadi.org/

And the thing is she said it during a discussion between No Fear and Irani Irani (or maybe OnlyIran, not sure, they were both on the thread with the same avatar so it was confusing). As usual, not participating in the whole discussion, just dropping in here and there with a pearl of wisdom or two. And she meant No Fear.

What kind of thing is that to get on a thread and tell someone that they should die? And that they will.

Maziar, New York

You have to understand that I was born in New York and have lived here all my life except briefly in Madrid, Duesseldorf, and Miami.  i've lived in Manhattan since I started college, almost 35 years, and in the same apartment in the East Village for twenty.

I used to be very involved in what I guess you would call the 'Underground' or the 'scene', in theater and music. There is really no more 'Underground' in New York, since the massive gentrification started in the late 80's. The alternative venues are gone, no one can afford to rent a theater space, etc. My neighorhood is full of expensive restaurants and clubs. Someone just built a townhouse in the building next to mine where there used to be a repair shop. I mean just built.  They finished it about two weeks ago. A townhouse, a whole five story building for themselves, just like on the Upper East Side. Unheard of.

Union Sqare is a mall. All over there are malls, and branches of huge chains. When old stores close in my neighborhood,many have been replaced by banks and other chains. They are the only ones who can afford it.

You see things very differently when you have a perspective like mine. It is much more beautiful than it was, less crime, not as dirty, more 'pleasant', but half the time you're thinking, this isn't mine.

I collect jewelry, mostly earrings, and have a lot of clothing. I used to spend entire days at flea markets and thrift shops. They have all closed down. I can find things elsewhere, and always did, but the thrift stores were the fun part. So many of them. Jst take a walk and you never knew what you'd find. That's just an example. It has lost all the flavor to it. People used to ride bikes all over downtown without helmets, now they hardly ride at all, it's too dangerous because people come down here in cars from all over to party and they have a kind of sense of entitlement so there are more accidents, it's more dangerous.

Many of my friends have moved to the West Coast, most of my closest ones. LA actually has a more interesting scene than New York does (it doesn't have any).  Even young friends I met who moved here a few years ago left. They did not like it. It did not have what they came here looking for. Not to say it isn't nice, it just isn't New York.

We preferred the old Times Square. There was Truth in it. I mean, it isn't like the poor stopped being poor because Giuliani waved a magic wand and told some real estate developers they could put a Disney theater there. They just got driven out somewhere further out, often shelters.

Living in Emerald City doesn't appeal to me. At least Tinsel Town never claimed to be other than it was. And as I said before, there are enclaves there that are far more interesting than here.

We had a way of life here, my people. No, more than that. We WERE a way of life. We were THE wayof life, we on the Downtown scene. When people came to New York to be part of 'avant garde' arts, the rock scene, progressive politics, alternative life styles, they were looking for us...

and we were there.

________________

I know him. Everybody did. He used to walk around documenting, everything, everything. He didn't always have the long beard though. I used to say Downtown was like a Bali in reverse. In Bali life was art because everything was ritual and harmony. On the Lower East Side, it was exactly the same. Except it was the ritual and harmony of chaos.

//www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/arts/design/25patterson.html

Viva la globalization.

Yolanda

How perfectly you read my mind with the following, "P.S. Thank God their usernames are not Gaza, Gazan, GazaOnly, OnlyGaza, GazaFirst, Gaza Gaza Gaza!"

You're becoming something of a favorite of old Sassan!

Keep up the good work, and just for you, I will try to prove Rosie the Riveter wrong! By golly, I shall really try, in earnest, for once, for real! I will try not to get blocked by Our Owner! This will be my last username!

We can all dream, right?

IRAN IS A PRISONER OF IRI

what about an obsessive iranophile

who also cares about palestinians, muslims, kurds, turks, armenians, bahais, baluchis etc. etc., and even about jews?

does it have to be either/or?

i like rosie's suggestion of 'truth and reconciliation'.

but i'll butt out.

Yolanda

I did not want to comment on this blog, but reading your comment, I just had to!

With regards to the faul comment you referennced, targetted at my kurdish sisters and brothers who were murdered in cold blood by the islamic regime for no offence other than their political beliefs,,. I find this certain extreme nationalistic views expressed by some, rather nausiating. This kind of extreme nationalism is the trade mark of any fascitic regime from Hitler's germany to Saddam's Iraq to Khamenei's Iran. I mean you dont have to even be Iranian to feel revolted by these crimes. Please remember that current leaders of Iran are all Iranians. So being an Iranian, I am afraid is not necessarily a badge of honour. Being a human being, believing and fighting for  freedom and social justicefor all, on the other hand, is a badge of honour....

......

I wonder why the so-called full-blooded Iranians wanted their own Kurdish people executed and they did not shed a drop of tear for that:

//iranian.com/main/comment/reply/106563/293616

//iranian.com/main/blog/iranvataneman/delara-darabi-case-perspective

Life is indeed full of irony! Are Iranians human-being, too?

It is time to send a flotilla to rescue the political prisoners in Iran!

We won't forget you, Majid Tavakoli!

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majid_Tavakoli

YolaNeda

I wonder why

some (who themselves declare that they are not Iranian) hate Palestinians so much while declare their love for Iranians here. Aren't Palestinians human beings too? Probably not as far as these so called Iranophiles are concerned. It's fishey and it stinks bad.

IMF: I hear you brother. 

......

"Iran, Irani, IranOnly, onlyIran, IranFirst, Iran Iran Iran, etc"

The names above are cool names!

I love to read their blogs and posts! Great job! Keep up the good work!

P.S. Thank God their usernames are not Gaza, Gazan, GazaOnly, OnlyGaza, GazaFirst, Gaza Gaza Gaza!

I swear I'm an Iranian so

I swear I'm an Iranian so is Hazrate shotor who comes from Khorram Abad
(West Iran). Iranians who live there are very Aryan but they don't know
it yet! They're waiting for someone from this website to let them know. 

You can always become an Iranian by adding the word "Iran to your login
name such as "Iran, Irani, IranOnly, onlyIran, IranFirst, Iran Iran
Iran, etc". The more you repeat the word "Iran" in your login name the
more Iranian you will become.

Very well said! Thanks Molla jan! May I add another characteristic of "being and Iranian"! That is you must spew hatred against Arabs to show your rascist side as yet another condition. Further, being a good Iranian requires you to bash islam and Muslims at any opportunity and if possible become aetheist or convert to another religion.

I gues we have defined who is a good Iranian, haven't we?

;-)

Sargord

Couldn't be more Indian if he tried

Rosie,

I swear I'm an Iranian so is Hazrate shotor who comes from Khorram Abad (West Iran). Iranians who live there are very Aryan but they don't know it yet! They're waiting for someone from this website to let them know. 

You can always become an Iranian by adding the word "Iran to your login name such as "Iran, Irani, IranOnly, onlyIran, IranFirst, Iran Iran Iran, etc". The more you repeat the word "Iran" in your login name the more Iranian you will become.

Rosie

Face it, you are a Tramp!

Sargord,

If you go with the avatar I suggested, you will find that you and Boom have a lot more in common than you both thought.

And the site will jumpstart the Truth and Reconciliaton process for all Iran.

Boom,

And this tub of goo former IRI stooge who thinks he's God around here

No, he doesn't, Boom. He thinks he's the owner. 

I suspect the Rahbar has taken a shine to you. Otherwise you wouldn't be here again with your string of invectives, would you? Perhaps he keeps deleting your account because he's curious to see which name you'll come up with next. Not to mention avatar. Please don't speak so badly of him. I am rather fond of him, as you know. Tone it down a little. Not too much, though.

I'm sorry I just dropped out and didn't return your last e-mail. I had issues too but they were of a different sort. When I popped back up I was surprised I didn't see you around. 

I'm also surprised you're so eager to show Yolanda your article. I never would've even asked. I thought you wouldn't want to blow your cover.

Who knew? 

ps Yolanda, it'll be a cold day in hell before this guy has a 'last' user name.

......

Thank you, Boom......I will register and get on LA Times by the end of the day!

Thanks,

P.S. I think you should try to prove to Rosie that "Boom" is your last username on IC. :O)

Yolanda,

You got it, dear. I'll let you know.

LA times website.

IRAN IS A PRISONER OF IRI

......

Hi! Boom,

     I subscribe LA Times Newspaper.......which day were you on LA Times? I really wanted to read your article......next time if you are on LA Times again, please let us know, please!!!! Just put a post on IC....I will catch it!

LA Times paper or LA Times website? Please specify!

to be continued.....

take care!

Yolanda,

as sweet as ever...

Take care!

The chubby tub of goo responsible for my latest re-invention is a menace to sound intelligence and free speech. This site is for the birds, dear yolanda, which is why I visit it less and less these days. I was on L.A. Times the other day and cursed and cursed and cursed and never got censored, and I'm talking F words galore, and never got censored, not once!

And this tub of goo former IRI stooge who thinks he's God around here doesn't realize that he actually hurts his own brand (and its popularity) when he ***arbitrarily*** deletes and censors speech. If the L.A. times allows freedom of speech to include a few choice words in an otherwise well written and germane posting, then it shall be good enough for this dog-and-pony show as well.

But this tub of goo is too dense for his own good.

And yes, Rosie the Riveter of IC, there will be a next time, unless the frivolous tub of goo has a coronary, and by the look of his bulging waist-line, I wouldn't put it past him. 

Boom was here. 

IRAN IS A PRISONER OF IRI

That's a good suggestion,

That's a good suggestion, Rosie. Look for a new one soon.

Salaam!

Yolanda, His next name should be 'Boom Boom Room'.  (And I assure you there WILL be a next time).

R1: You may have had some trouble with the Mousavi cartoon, but I think you understand this one better than I do.

Sargord, Believe me, I know. You were one of my inspirations for the blog. Have you ever thought your situation might improve if you changed your avatar? Here is a suggestion:

//www.cominghomegifts.com/Here%27s%20My%20Heart%20Red.JPG

Ben: For reaching this last stage of esteem -scratching our insecure psyche- you have to work really hard. Because you are already a known non-Iranian. We only hire those who are not a known non-Iranian

That's the whole point of the training, Ben. Look at my subject line. I'm already making a lot of progress and I haven't even been hired yet.  I will take on a second ID. That's part of a Cyber Warrior's job description. And then I can have conversations with myself:

Me #1: You are not an Iranian!

Me #2: No, you are not an Iranian! Salaam! 

......

Hi! Boom,

      Glad to see you back! You have picked a good name...so you don't have to say "Mohammad fought 78 battles..."....the slogan is great, too! I even wanted to say Iran is a hostage of IRI!

take it easy!

P.S. In case, something happens to "Boom", you can come back with "Boom1", "Boom2", "Boom3"..... just remember that you are always welcomed here!

Boom is definitely a ...

Cyber Warrier!